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            <h1>Node.js v0.8.12 Manual &amp; Documentation</h1>
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            <h2>Table of Contents</h2>
            <ul>
<li><a href="#globals_global_objects">Global Objects</a><ul>
<li><a href="#globals_global">global</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_process">process</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_console">console</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_class_buffer">Class: Buffer</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_require">require()</a><ul>
<li><a href="#globals_require_resolve">require.resolve()</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_require_cache">require.cache</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_require_extensions">require.extensions</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="#globals_filename">__filename</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_dirname">__dirname</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_module">module</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_exports">exports</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_settimeout_cb_ms">setTimeout(cb, ms)</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_cleartimeout_t">clearTimeout(t)</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_setinterval_cb_ms">setInterval(cb, ms)</a></li>
<li><a href="#globals_clearinterval_t">clearInterval(t)</a></li>
</ul>
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          <div id="apicontent">
            <h1>Global Objects<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_global_objects" id="globals_global_objects">#</a></span></h1>
<!-- type=misc -->

<p>These objects are available in all modules. Some of these objects aren&#39;t
actually in the global scope but in the module scope - this will be noted.

</p>
<h2>global<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_global" id="globals_global">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=global -->

<ul>
<li>{Object} The global namespace object.</li>
</ul>
<p>In browsers, the top-level scope is the global scope. That means that in
browsers if you&#39;re in the global scope <code>var something</code> will define a global
variable. In Node this is different. The top-level scope is not the global
scope; <code>var something</code> inside a Node module will be local to that module.

</p>
<h2>process<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_process" id="globals_process">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=global -->

<ul>
<li>{Object}</li>
</ul>
<p>The process object. See the <a href="process.html#process_process">process object</a> section.

</p>
<h2>console<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_console" id="globals_console">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=global -->

<ul>
<li>{Object}</li>
</ul>
<p>Used to print to stdout and stderr. See the <a href="stdio.html">stdio</a> section.

</p>
<h2>Class: Buffer<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_class_buffer" id="globals_class_buffer">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=global -->

<ul>
<li>{Function}</li>
</ul>
<p>Used to handle binary data. See the <a href="buffer.html">buffer section</a>

</p>
<h2>require()<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_require" id="globals_require">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=var -->

<ul>
<li>{Function}</li>
</ul>
<p>To require modules. See the <a href="modules.html#modules_modules">Modules</a> section.  <code>require</code> isn&#39;t actually a
global but rather local to each module.

</p>
<h3>require.resolve()<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_require_resolve" id="globals_require_resolve">#</a></span></h3>
<p>Use the internal <code>require()</code> machinery to look up the location of a module,
but rather than loading the module, just return the resolved filename.

</p>
<h3>require.cache<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_require_cache" id="globals_require_cache">#</a></span></h3>
<div class="signature"><ul>
<li><span class="type">Object</span></li>
</div></ul>
<p>Modules are cached in this object when they are required. By deleting a key
value from this object, the next <code>require</code> will reload the module.

</p>
<h3>require.extensions<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_require_extensions" id="globals_require_extensions">#</a></span></h3>
<div class="signature"><ul>
<li><span class="type">Array</span></li>
</div></ul>
<p>Instruct <code>require</code> on how to handle certain file extensions.

</p>
<p>Process files with the extension <code>.sjs</code> as <code>.js</code>:

</p>
<pre><code>require.extensions[&#39;.sjs&#39;] = require.extensions[&#39;.js&#39;];</code></pre>
<p>Write your own extension handler:

</p>
<pre><code>require.extensions[&#39;.sjs&#39;] = function(module, filename) {
  var content = fs.readFileSync(filename, &#39;utf8&#39;);
  // Parse the file content and give to module.exports
  module.exports = content;
};</code></pre>
<h2>__filename<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_filename" id="globals_filename">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=var -->

<ul>
<li>{String}</li>
</ul>
<p>The filename of the code being executed.  This is the resolved absolute path
of this code file.  For a main program this is not necessarily the same
filename used in the command line.  The value inside a module is the path
to that module file.

</p>
<p>Example: running <code>node example.js</code> from <code>/Users/mjr</code>

</p>
<pre><code>console.log(__filename);
// /Users/mjr/example.js</code></pre>
<p><code>__filename</code> isn&#39;t actually a global but rather local to each module.

</p>
<h2>__dirname<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_dirname" id="globals_dirname">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=var -->

<ul>
<li>{String}</li>
</ul>
<p>The name of the directory that the currently executing script resides in.

</p>
<p>Example: running <code>node example.js</code> from <code>/Users/mjr</code>

</p>
<pre><code>console.log(__dirname);
// /Users/mjr</code></pre>
<p><code>__dirname</code> isn&#39;t actually a global but rather local to each module.


</p>
<h2>module<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_module" id="globals_module">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=var -->

<ul>
<li>{Object}</li>
</ul>
<p>A reference to the current module. In particular
<code>module.exports</code> is the same as the <code>exports</code> object.
<code>module</code> isn&#39;t actually a global but rather local to each module.

</p>
<p>See the <a href="modules.html">module system documentation</a> for more information.

</p>
<h2>exports<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_exports" id="globals_exports">#</a></span></h2>
<!-- type=var -->

<p>An object which is shared between all instances of the current module and
made accessible through <code>require()</code>.
<code>exports</code> is the same as the <code>module.exports</code> object.
<code>exports</code> isn&#39;t actually a global but rather local to each module.

</p>
<p>See the <a href="modules.html">module system documentation</a> for more information.

</p>
<p>See the <a href="modules.html">module section</a> for more information.

</p>
<h2>setTimeout(cb, ms)<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_settimeout_cb_ms" id="globals_settimeout_cb_ms">#</a></span></h2>
<p>Run callback <code>cb</code> after <em>at least</em> <code>ms</code> milliseconds. The actual delay depends
on external factors like OS timer granularity and system load.

</p>
<p>The timeout must be in the range of 1-2,147,483,647 inclusive. If the value is
outside that range, it&#39;s changed to 1 millisecond. Broadly speaking, a timer
cannot span more than 24.8 days.

</p>
<p>Returns an opaque value that represents the timer.

</p>
<h2>clearTimeout(t)<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_cleartimeout_t" id="globals_cleartimeout_t">#</a></span></h2>
<p>Stop a timer that was previously created with <code>setTimeout()</code>. The callback will
not execute.

</p>
<h2>setInterval(cb, ms)<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_setinterval_cb_ms" id="globals_setinterval_cb_ms">#</a></span></h2>
<p>Run callback <code>cb</code> repeatedly every <code>ms</code> milliseconds. Note that the actual
interval may vary, depending on external factors like OS timer granularity and
system load. It&#39;s never less than <code>ms</code> but it may be longer.

</p>
<p>The interval must be in the range of 1-2,147,483,647 inclusive. If the value is
outside that range, it&#39;s changed to 1 millisecond. Broadly speaking, a timer
cannot span more than 24.8 days.

</p>
<p>Returns an opaque value that represents the timer.

</p>
<h2>clearInterval(t)<span><a class="mark" href="#globals_clearinterval_t" id="globals_clearinterval_t">#</a></span></h2>
<p>Stop a timer that was previously created with <code>setInterval()</code>. The callback
will not execute.

</p>
<!--type=global-->

<p>The timer functions are global variables. See the <a href="timers.html">timers</a> section.

</p>

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